Samba Montclair

Samba Montclair offers more than just the most familiar Brazilian dishes. Brazil? Rio, Carnival and steak 24/7. Not so fast, says Ilson Goncalves. “People think Brazil is just Carnivale and that we just eat meat all day,” the 32-year-old owner of Samba Montclair says, laughing. You won’t find rodizio at Samba Montclair, which opened last year in what was once the Park Street Cafe. It’s a cozy, inviting space, with seating for 32; pale yellow walls decorated with pans, well-worn shutters and other items found by way of estate sales and Craigslist; two overhead fans in the shape of giant leaves; dinner menus on sturdy wooden planks, and the wall outside the restroom made from wine crates salvaged from the liquor store next door. – NJ.com